Give Local Midland generates $266,943 for nonprofit endowment funds

Tuesday marked the fourth annual Give Local Midland event, a 24-hour crowdfunding effort to benefit local nonprofit endowment funds held at the Midland Area Community Foundation (MACF).

“We were thrilled with the community response,” said Sharon Mortensen, MACF President & CEO. “We’re now in our fourth year of the event, and we continue to see growth, so it’s very positive for this community.”

The inaugural event in 2014 raised $156,999 for participating agencies. This year, over 50 local nonprofits participated and benefitted from a match fund pool of $75,000, $5,000 of which was provided by the Howard and Lisa Ungerleider Donor Advised Fund held at MACF, while the community foundation provided $70,000.

“The matching fund is an enormous incentive for our nonprofit partners,” said Mortensen. “The more donations they receive during the giving day, the higher percentage of match dollars they earn.”

The Midland Jr/Sr Little League and Children’s Grief Center took the top two spots, earning $14,785 and $12,545 in donations, respectively. After matching funds are added, those numbers are expected to go up significantly.

Give Local Midland is primarily an online event, but several donors visited the community foundation with gifts of checks and cash to support their favorite nonprofit.

“Give Local Midland is really about showing our love and support for our nonprofit community, and helping them save for the future,” said Mortensen. “We want to thank our community for their support.”